This review originally appeared on Goodreads on September 23, 2012.

Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan

By Alex Kerr – Hill and Wang – January 1, 2001

Review by Robin Marx

As someone living long-term in Japan, this was, hands-down, the most depressing book I've read all year. Kerr's argument is that Japan is in the midst of “cultural malaise,” with no real end in sight. The book is an impassioned laundry list of the (mainly structural) problems facing modern Japan.

Kerr raises the following as the foremost issues at the heart of Japan's perceived decline: – pointless pork-barrel construction projects – garish, misguided architectural design that ignores local flavor – an educational system that focuses on mindless obedience and rote memorization – an economy on the brink of collapse, plagued by creative accounting and fraud – infantile pop culture (the cult of kawaii and the prominence of anime and manga) – a monolithic bureaucratic juggernaut unconcerned with public need – skepticism and resistance of internationalism

The list goes on, and it paints a very bleak picture. (I regret reading the bulk of this book on a gloomy, rainy Sunday.)

While the issues Kerr cites are—to some extent—visible to this longtime resident, his argument is far from ironclad. He presents a civilization circling the drain, while frequently using the United States as a counterpoint. However, since this book's publication in 2001, America has undergone a dramatic decline while Japan has more or less muddled through.

Kerr is careful to cite specifics to support his arguments, but he has a tendency to resort to a pretty broad brush when drawing conclusions. The Japanese educational system has some pretty glaring flaws, for example, but my experience with public education in the US certainly didn't leave me with any fond memories of freedom and acceptance of diversity.

The biggest turnoff about this book comes from Kerr citing the Edo period (1603-1868) as some sort of ideal for modern Japan to aspire to. Kerr must not be a student of history. The Edo period brought stability, popular culture, and the initial rise of a middle class, yes, but it's arguable that most of the positive aspects of Edo society developed despite the government, not because of it. It's simply bizarre to me that Kerr can spend much of a book bemoaning self-perpetuating bureaucracy, the rejection of internationalization, social “ossification,” and mindless obedience to authority, only to get misty-eyed about a military dictatorship with an inflexible class system.

In the end I'm forced to conclude that, like many disillusioned foreigners, Kerr yearns for a Japan that never really existed. The problems he cites with Japan's society and government are certainly present (all the things that get me down about this country), but he offers no satisfying solutions, and his platonic ideal for Japan (Edo feudalism!) is only appealing when viewed through rose-tinted welding goggles.

★★☆☆☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on March 5, 2019.

Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence

By David Benatar – Oxford University Press – October 19, 2006

Review by Robin Marx

Compared to a state of non-existence, coming into existence is always a net harm. The pains and discomforts of life outweigh the pleasures, despite cognitive biases that lead people to emphasize the positive and downplay the (often pretty ubiquitous) negative. Procreating leads to an increase in harm in the world by creating a new sufferer, one incapable of consenting to existence. The extinction of sentient life is a goal to strive for, and sooner rather than later. Individual suicide isn't a good option, however, as it harms those left behind.

When presented with these arguments, people tend to react against them reflexively and quite viscerally. “Was sentient life a mistake?” is sort of a heavy question, and one that involves everyone alive in the world. While Benatar's anti-natalist thesis is a bleak one, his arguments are made in a patient, systematic, and persuasive manner.

While I am open to contrary arguments, I found it difficult to poke holes in Benatar's philosophy myself and appreciated (this is not a book to be “enjoyed”) the food-for-thought.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 14, 2017.

Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys

By Lol Tolhurst – Da Capo – September 22, 2016

Review by Robin Marx

The first half of the book, describing how three friends came together to form a band in a dead-end English suburb, is the strongest. During the years covered in the second half Tolhurst's alcoholism led to blackouts and memory loss, with the result that he seemed to have few anecdotes to relate for some of The Cure's most vibrant years.

The passages involving Robert Smith seemed mostly tentative, as if Tolhurst was worried about damaging his recent reconciliation with Smith by writing anything less than glowing. This was a nice story, gently told, but fans hoping for detailed insight into the inner workings of The Cure are likely to be disappointed.

★★★☆☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 16, 2017.

The Hacienda: How Not to Run a Club

By Peter Hook – Simon & Schuster UK – October 1, 2009

Review by Robin Marx

This is the first of three books written to date by ex-Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter Hook. It chronicles how he and a motley crew of other Factory Records idealists managed to create a now legendary nightclub that played a central role in Manchester's music scene despite a comical lack of business acumen and competency.

While an entertaining read, I found this to be the weakest of Hook's three books. There was a great deal of overlap between this book and his other two, with many of the most memorable anecdotes covered in more depth in his Substance: Inside New Order book. Fans without a nostalgic connection to the Hacienda and/or Madchester music scene in particular can safely skip this book in favor of his more engrossing Joy Division and New Order memoirs.

★★★☆☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on March 6, 2019.

The Conspiracy Against the Human Race

By Thomas Ligotti – Hippocampus Press – September 1, 2011

Review by Robin Marx

In the words of John Lydon, “Ever feel like you've been cheated?” Horror writer Thomas Ligotti certainly does.

In this essay, Ligotti passionately argues that sentient life is “MALIGNANTLY USELESS” (emphasis his). Among the animal kingdom we are in a unique position to comprehend our suffering and mortality, but rather than join hands and together voluntarily march into extinction, we are self-deluding prisoners and simultaneously jailers who punish those who call attention to the grimness of existence. We're all inmates, but an extra helping of woe to those who point out the bars.

Much of the text draws heavily from the work of Norwegian philosopher Peter Wessel Zapffe, who also argued that humanity's over-developed awareness of the human condition was a source of suffering and existential angst. Rather than succumb to despair, humans cope by excluding negativity from their thoughts, seeking distraction, anchoring themselves in something larger (e.g., a family, a religion, a nation), or channeling their feelings into creative outlets. The defining trait of humanity is consciousness and self-awareness, but that comprehension leads to despair and attempts to become less aware (and therefore less human).

Ligotti illustrates Zapffe's premise with numerous examples from life and art (the cosmic horror of H. P. Lovecraft is given special attention), all the while raging about the absurdity and cruelty of it all. This book shares a similar topic and conclusions (non-existence is less harmful than our current state, and voluntary human extinction is worthy of consideration) with Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence, but the vehemence with which Ligotti argues his points sets the two books apart.

This is a passionate book about a bleak topic. The readers drawn to it likely already agree with the conclusions, and those who uncomfortably dismiss it out of hand can likely be shown to be relying on Zapffe's coping mechanisms.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on December 21, 2021.

Fast Forward: Confessions of a Post-Punk Percussionist: Volume II

By Stephen Morris – Constable – December 3, 2020

Review by Robin Marx

Much like the previous volume, this is a brisk and entertaining look at one of the most important bands in pop history. Hooky’s books get into more of the dirt within the band, Bernard’s book was pretty shallow, but the two Stephen Morris books feel like the most clear-eyed and grounded account of the history of Joy Division and New Order.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on January 15, 2013.

Yoshitoshi's Women: The Woodblock-Print Series Fuzoku Sanjuniso

By John Stevenson – University of Washington Press – 1995

Review by Robin Marx

This handsome volume offers an in-depth look at one of Yoshitoshi Tsukioka's most remarkable series of woodblock prints. The book opens with an excellent summary of Yoshitoshi's life as well as the ukiyo-e creative process, making it appropriate for both newcomers to Japanese art and the already initiated.

Each print in the series is given a full two page spread, with one page devoted to the artwork and the other providing in-depth commentary. The descriptions are fascinating and extremely illuminating, cluing the modern viewer in on allusions, metaphors, and other pieces of cultural context that the contemporary Japanese audience would've naturally understood.

From literature to fashion and material culture, the multidisciplinary depth of John Stevenson's research is truly impressive, and the presentation is clear and engaging. I've been a fan of Yoshitoshi's artwork for years, but this book helped me gain an even deeper appreciation of his work. Highly recommended.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on January 15, 2013.

The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons: A Field Guide to Japanese Yokai

By Matthew Meyer – March 1, 2012

Review by Robin Marx

This illustrated volume is a fun, if not especially deep, look at monsters from Japanese folklore. The book is an adaptation of Matthew Meyer's A-Yokai-a-Day web project, where he uploaded an original painting of one of Japan's traditional monsters (Yokai) along with a brief explanatory article.

The book reads a bit like a Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual, with each creature's appearance, diet, habits, and encounter spots listed. The text is breezy and entertaining, but doesn't offer much in the way of analysis or detail. The artwork was excellent, presented in a style that mixes traditional Japanese stylings with a more Western aesthetic. Overall this book offers an appealing look at an interesting side of Japanese culture, but those hoping for detail, citations, or more ethnographical content are going to be left wanting more.

★★★☆☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on May 26, 2022.

The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy

By Paul Myers – House of Anansi Press – October 23, 2018

Review by Robin Marx

This is a fun, breezy take on the story of the Kids in the Hall. While you can get the same story distilled into the recent—and excellent—two-part 80-minute Amazon Prime documentary Comedy Punks (the author of this book also served as an Executive Producer on the documentary), the book format naturally allows for greater detail. For casual fans, the documentary is probably sufficient, but if you own all the DVDs and have sketches committed to memory like me, you’ll appreciate the extra depth.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on May 28, 2019.

The White Darkness

By David Grann – Doubleday – October 30, 2018

Review by Robin Marx

A brief but exciting read about a modern adventurer walking in the footsteps of his hero, Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. In addition to a quick overview of the earliest polar expeditions, this book covers Henry Worsley's successful journey as well as the disastrous solo attempt that followed years later. The story touches on hero worship and the limits of human endurance as well as reminding the reader just how much untouched and inhospitable terrain remains on our planet.

As a two-part New Yorker essay, this was perfectly sized. However, had I paid for the published book edition (currently $12 on Amazon) I likely would have felt ripped-off. This book is more of a breezy sketch than an in-depth day-by-day portrayal.

★★★☆☆

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